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Team Pedercini Racing announced on Monday that Qatar’s Saeed Al Sulaiti will join Frenchman Sylvain Barrier in the squad this year, thus completing its rider line-up.

30-year-old debutant Al Sulaiti will ride the Ninja ZX-10R, backed by the QMMF (Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation). He has been racing professionally since his career began in the World Endurance Championship in 2010.

“I am very excited about this new adventure,” he says. “I’m thankful to Team Pedercini Racing and QMMF, who are providing a unique opportunity to race with the top riders and to learn a professional working method in a highly cohesive team.

“My goal is to take this opportunity to boost my sporting ambitions and achieve better and better results throughout the season. I will certainly do my best to make 2016 an unforgettable year, the first of many more to follow!”

Team owner and former rider Lucio Pedercini hopes that his new recruitment will further boost the interest of motorcycle racing in Qatar, which has staged seven WorldSBK meetings since 2005 and hosted MotoGP races every year since 2004.

“Al Sulaiti comes from a country that has shown great interest in our sport,” Pedercini comments. “Placing our trust in him, we want to open the door and to promote the popularity of motorsport in a region with high potential, but still with few talented riders. Together with Saeed, we will show that our cultures have in common the same commitment to achieve important results. We will improve together and Saeed will be able to show his best. His bike is ready and I can’t wait to see him in action.”

Al Sulaiti will become the third Qatari rider to compete in the WorldSBK premier class, after Talil Al Naimi (2005 and 2006) and Mashel Al Naimi (2007). As well as competing in the World Endurance Championship, he has also raced in both the Superbike and Moto2 categories of the FIM CEV Repsol. Riding with number 11, he will first test the Kawasaki in Jerez on Tuesday 26 January.